How many individuals did you see?
I have been investigating about the van long reseve which is home to this langur species, but there is another reserve where they say it is easier to see them, as I would like to go to Vietnam in a near future I´d like to ask you, Were they difficult to find? and how far is the reserve from Hanoi? and finally how long were you able to stay watching them?
Four adults and a 'young in arms' in this group, plus a brief glimpse of another individual in a different part of the reserve.
We stayed watching them probably about 20min - access is via boat but the 'drivers' seemed very good at detecting what you were interested in - four men with long lenses and binos certainly tipped off our two drivers that wildlife-spotting was the aim!
This is what I wrote about Van Long for an article on my trip to Vietnam:
We arrived late at Van Long and checked into what I can only describe as a distinctly ‘Communist-looking’ holiday camp, complete with curious concrete animals (from deer and monkeys to giraffes) and almost comedically bleak sports facilities. I’m pretty sure we were the only residents, although the restaurant did attract passing trade at lunchtimes. The reason for both the hotel to be there and for the passing trade was almost directly next door, and our destination the next morning – Van Long Nature Reserve. This is a huge area of preserved wetlands fringed and interlaced by high karst cliffs, and is a strong contender for the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. There is a long road along the front of the wetlands giving good views of a massive egret colony. If ever you are there, walk down to the wetlands around 5.30pm when the egrets are flying in for the night; it’s an unforgettable sight.
For the majority of the reserve, however, access is not by path, but by boat – small, two-passenger boats rowed by experienced locals. The 2-3hr spent on the boat were among the most rewarding wildlife-spotting hours I’ve spent – our little ‘convoy’ of two boats made a long loop of the reserves spotting White-breasted and Common Kingfishers, Chinese Pond Herons and various other birds. All the while, our eyes were scanning the cliffs, ever-alert for a view of the reserve’s signature species. After a few frustrating clifftop glimpses we were finally rewarded – a group of four Delacour’s Langurs, one carrying a youngster, sat a couple of hundred metres away on one of the cliffs. The boats stood still for about 20min or so while we watched what must surely be the most the most remarkable wild animals I’ve ever encountered. The Van Long population of this species is actually believed to be increasing slowly; I sincerely hope this continues to be the case.
There were 'short' and 'long' tours - make sure to get a long one as this goes much deeper into the reserve.
